Ash Wednesday | DUST
The Lord God formed the human from the dust of the ground and blew into his nostrils the breath of life; and the human came to life. (Genesis 2:7)
“Dust to dust….” On Ash Wednesday, a day when we remember the reality of human finitude, we remember the friends and loved ones and strangers, too…so many who’ve gone to the grave. We miss them. We remember them even as we remember the One who gives us the sure and certain hope of resurrection. On this day of dust and ash, let us remember that we are surrounded by the household of God, sinners redeemed by grace, limited like us, but ever seeking to imitate Christ, however poorly.
Even as sin clings as closely as gray remnants of ash, mercy surrounds us like a dust storm stirred up by the relentless wind of the Spirit. Remember. Repent. Turn and follow Jesus Christ, singing alleluia even to the grave until God raises Him from the dead and we are overcome with resurrection joy.
Questions for Reflection:
As you begin this Lenten journey, whom do you remember? Who has walked with you when you have reached your limits and helped you get through that difficult season?
Why do you need to be reminded of your finitude, your dustiness? How does God work within and through your limits?
Lord, the giver of every breath, as we begin our Lenten journey, send us your Holy Spirit to blow the dust off whatever in or around us needs new life. Remind us of our limits so that we will once again experience your limitless power…so that even when the ashes have been washed away, others will see in us the face of Christ. Amen.
Join us here throughout Lent for weekly reflections!
Huge thanks to Rev. Jill J. Duffield for allowing us to adapt from her book, Lent in Plain Sight: A Devotion Through Ten Objects. Read the book and join us for a virtual book club discussion at 4pm on Saturday, April 3. Email Karen for the Zoom link: karen@theologicalhorizons.org
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